This Is Why Skill Set Isnt Everything In The Hiring Game

This Is Why Skill Set Isnt Everything In The Hiring GameThere are only a few organizations that truly need to hire based on skill alone. The New York Yankees, for example. Major movie studios, definitely. Modeling agencies would be another one. Its tough to win a World Series, an Oscar or land a major ad campaign with someone who doesnt have the necessary set of skills to get there. But for nearly every other type of business, a candidates skills are important, but theyre not the be all, end all. Especially when you consider the fact that, globally, 38 percent of employers had difficulty filling jobs last year due to a lack of technical competencies, according to ManPowerGroups 2015 Talent Shortage Survey. It may seem counterintuitive to hear that a hiring manager or a recruiter shouldnt zero in on an applicants skill level as they look to fill a role. But there are a number of reasons why focusing on a persons skill set alone becomes dangerous. These includeYou can change a persons skills, but you cant change who they are.Its terrific if a new employee shows up on their first day of work fully equipped to do their job perfectly. However, its equally important that they mesh well with their new colleagues. If you hire for skill and dont weigh personality type or character, you could end up with the most technically talented new hire youve ever had, but also the one who creates the most zug in the office. Its much easier to teach skills than it is to teach the ability to get along well with others. Consider both factors when making a hiring decision.Skilled talent may also have learned a few bad habits along the way.Companies within the same field can operate quite differently from one another. If you have an employee who welches doing a job with Company X for years, they may come to Company Y with plenty of experience. However, they may have also picked up some habits at Company X that the managers at Company Y dont love. Because unterstellung patterns are so i ngrained in their daily work habits, it can be hard to retrain this employee and break them of these problematic patterns. Its easier to teach someone a skill when theyve got a clean slate.Technical abilities dont always translate to passion for the job.An employee might be great at what they do, but in no way does this mean that they love it. Those who lack a real passion for the job can end up causing the company (and the morale within that company) to suffer in the long-run. Youre better off hiring someone who could use some additional training, but is eager to learn as opposed to someone who naturally excels in the role, but couldnt care less about the work they do each day.Skills mean nothing if an employee doesnt have a passion for the job.Click To TweetOnce youve taken hiring for skills alone out of play, what else should you consider as you vet candidates for an open role within your or a clients business? These are key traits to look for in a profil new hireCustomer servic e skillsRegardless of whether an employee is in a client-facing role on a day-to-day basis, hiring managers and recruiters want to know that the individual will conduct themselves appropriately should they end up interacting with clients. Each employee represents a business, so professionalism and courtesy are essential.The right personalityEmployers look for a few key personality traits when they search for their next gruppe member, including professionalism, high energy levels, and confidence. People who come into the office each day fired up and ready to work inspire others around them to be the same way. Energy levels are contagious, for better or for worse, so you want someone in your office whos going to motivate other employees to get out there and make a difference. While exuberance matters, you dont want someone whos like a bull in a china shop. You need an employee who knows how to conduct themselves professionally in any situation. Whether theyre courting a new client or killing time with someone in accounting, they know whats OK to say and whats not. You also want this person to feel confident in various situations. They should trust their gut and feel equipped to represent their company.Attention to detailRegardless of position or department, careful attention to detail is a must. Employees who only focus on the big picture can end up inadvertently causing major mistakes to happen as they overlook details that become significant in the long-run. From typos to decimals that could drastically change the outcome of a profit and loss statement, you want someone who makes it a point to check and double check their work.Gets along with many different personality typesIf youve worked in an office for long enough, you know that youll find a diverse blend of personality types who all have to coexist and share the same cafeteria. You have introverts and extroverts. You have those who love group brainstorming sessions and those who would love to be left alon e with their thoughts. A new addition to your team should be able to do business peacefully with these varying personalities. No need to be best friends with everyone, but treating all colleagues in a civilized manner is essential.A passion for what they doIf an employee doesnt believe in the companys mission, eventually theyre going to experience burnout. Recruit people who truly love the work they do and believe in the reason theyre doing it. Employees who come in simply to collect a paycheck will quickly reveal themselves and will struggle to properly pull their weight.Willingness to put in the workIts rare to find a job thats always 9-5 anymore. There will be days or weeks when staff members are required to log extra hours. While they may not love missing time with their friends or family, the right people for the job understand they have to do whats necessary to get the work done. Seek out employees who are more focused on completing the project properly than they are on watchi ng the clock and leaving at 501 p.m. on the dot.Wants to improveIt doesnt matter how long youve been doing a job or how many degrees youve obtained, theres always room to get better. When an employee decides they know everything there is to know about their field, they start to plateau. As a result, their value within the company decreases. Seek out someone who constantly wants to improve their knowledge and skills. Someone who wants to attend conferences and workshops. Someone who reads trade magazines and blogs pertaining to the field. These are the employees who will continue to stay relevant, even as their field evolves.Values the team mentalityAsk nearly any employee in America and youll probably hear that they regularly handle tasks that wouldnt fall under their assigned job description. When a staff member cares about the business, they tackle these tasks to ensure that the company continues to flourish. When hiring, look for an employee whos focused on the team as a whole, r ather than someone who obsesses over what is or isnt their job.Handles feedback wellNo one loves to hear criticism, but from time to time, its necessary. Even if your employee is wonderfully talented at their job, there will come a day when they make a mistake that warrants correcting. Make sure the person you hire is someone who is responsive and receptive to this feedback.Employees who blow up, storm out of the office, or melt down become disruptive to the business as a whole. Managers become hesitant to have a discussion with them, which means the mistakes that need correcting are allowed to continue. This can lead to a whole host of other issues. When feedback is received and acted upon, problems are squashed before theyre allowed to develop further.Has the ability to multitaskTodays working world is fast paced. You might be typing away on an assignment one minute, only to get called into a meeting the next. Find someone who can easily adapt to an ever-changing office environmen t without getting flustered. Multi-taskingmatters, as does the ability to stay focused and keep priorities in line, even as situations change around you at work.Can make decisionsEven if theyre not in a management role, its useful to have an employee who is comfortable making decisions. Inevitably at some point, they will find themselves in a situation where they have to make choices that will impact the company (What vendor should you use? What time should the event start?), and you dont want someone who teeters back and forth, unable to trust their own ability to pick an option.Seeks to innovateSometimes companies stall out because they continue to operate just as they always have. Its not because this way is the most effective way, but rather because its the most comfortable. Find employees who are willing to innovate and think creatively. They bring fresh blood and new ideas to the office, and help identify outdated or unproductive patterns that are slowing the company down.Take s responsibility for mistakesFessing up to a major work blunder is tough, even for well-respected members of a team. But doing so is important in order to keep the company operating smoothly. If an idea falls flat or a customer isnt happy, the people responsible for the issue need to be OK with stepping forward and making it right. Passing the blame around can cause tension within an office, plus it makes the business look unprofessional to its customers.Look for inherent skills like creativity, decisiveness, and being personable when hiring.Click To TweetHiring managers are often in a tricky position. Even when they know what kind of employee they should be looking for, beyond just the hard skills and the flashy resume, it can be tough to strike a balance. How do you make sure youre getting the right type of person who also has the right type of experience? There are a few waysMake the interview more hands onIts easy for someone to fake their way through a series of standard interv iew questions. To really get a sense of what the candidate is all about, try shaking up your interview process. If you want to verify that they have the necessary technical skills, have them create a sample project. Write a script. Build a model. Do a mock-up of a logo. Rather than talking about the work they would do if they came and joined your team, youll get to see it in action. This gives you a better idea of whether their actual abilities back up their interview answers.Let them interact with your teamBecause company culture and employee morale are so important, youll want to get a sense of how this person would mesh with your more veteran employees. Instead of hypothesizing and asking theoretical questions, give them a chance to meet everyone briefly. Any immediately negative interactions should be a red flag that perhaps this hire isnt a good fit for the business.See a persons potentialAnalyzing a resume is important, but you should also keep in mind that who an individual i s right now isnt always indicative of what they could be. If they were given career development opportunities, for example, they might obtain the skills necessary to become more technically sound. Take note of where a potential hire is currently at in their career, but dont pigeonhole them. Professional growth is always possible in the right situation.Analyzing potential hires based on technical skill is important in order to ensure that a new team member is able to effectively pull their weight at work. However, dont underestimate the importance of getting the right personality type in the position either. Finding a charismatic, enthusiastic individual whos ready to learn and has the potential to develop professionally can have a huge positive impact on your office.What are some other things to consider in a new hire, other than skill? Let us know in the comments below.